LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Since Governor Andy Beshear announced the new regulations for restaurants, many have transformed their outdoor patios for in-person dining. The owners of one iconic Chevy Chase establishment share their struggle to keep the doors open.
For many restaurants and bars across Lexington, the new regulations have put them in a challenging position. The owner of Charlie Brown's says to-go orders are not enough to keep their doors open.
"We are fortunate we have an outside dining venue, with a heated patio, that has 50% open air," Dave Fuller said.
Keeping their patio 50% open is part of the rules under Governor Beshear's current regulations. The Lexington-Fayette Health Department says that only one restaurant in Lexington has been fined; you must be cited before you are fined.
The health department says this gives the establishment a chance to fix the issue before paying for it. Dave fuller said the to-go orders and patio at Charlie Brown's are only about 30% of what they usually do.
"We put in a heating system, but it's open-air, so we have to go by the guidelines, so it is what it is. It's going to be; we will see what happens," Fuller said.
With colder weather coming, Fuller hopes the restrictions on indoor dining will be lifted on December 13th. "Because, you know, everybody is starving. All the help is struggling. The help that we have right now, they're making about one-third of what they generally made too."
